Park follows in father's footsteps
The late President Park Chung-hee, left, the father of President Park Geun-hye, inspects an honor guard during a state visit to Berlin in 1964. Park Geun-hye is also on a state visit to Germany, following in his footsteps. / Yonhap
By Kim Tae-gyu
FRANKFURT ― President Park Geun-hye met former Korean miners and nurses, Friday, who were dispatched to Germany decades ago, as one of her final events of the four-day state visit to Europe’s No. 1 economy.
The meeting must have reminded Park of her late father, the authoritarian leader Park Chung-hee, who also encountered miners and nurses here half a century ago.
In 1964, Park Chung-hee visited Germany to learn about the country’s strong economic growth, and delivered a tearful speech to miners and nurses, asking for their sacrifice for future generation.
Back then, the leader of a poor country with a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of around $80 flew to Germany via Hong Kong and Bangkok aboard an airplane provided by Germany.
Thereafter, Korea racked up one of the world’s most-envied success stories with its per head GDP now approaching $25,000. President Park’s visit is also quite different from that of her father ― she flew to Berlin with aides and officials on a charter flight and was warmly welcomed by top German politicians.
She thanked the ethnic Koreans for their painstaking work just as her father did.
“Park seemed to be very emotional about the miners and nurses who contributed so much for the modernization of Korea and to the relationship between Germany and Korea,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said.
In answer to requests by West Germany, Korea dispatched 7,396 miners and 10,032 nurses from 1963 through 1977 to help the European country rebuild after World War II.
They also played a significant role in the economic development of Korea because they sent more than $100 million to their homeland, which was used to set up social infrastructure.
The factory she opted to visit in Berlin also has something to do with her father. Park inspected a Siemens plant, Thursday, to learn how the company educated and trained employees from East Germany.
Park’s aides explained that such knowhow would be helpful when Korea achieves unification, the buzzword of late after Park seamlessly pitched the idea this year.
Yet, there could have been another reason ― Park’s father also paid a visit to Siemens 50 years ago.
Park finished her week-long itinerary to the Netherlands where the Nuclear Security Summit took place and Germany and will return home Saturday.
It marked her second overseas trip this year and seventh overall since she took office early last year.